By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that Panama should secure the Panama Canal with support from America, not China.
"The Panama Canal is key terrain that must be secured by Panama with America and not China," Hegseth told a news conference in Panama City with Frank Abrego, Panama’s public security minister.
The US is securing the Panama Canal and countering China's "malign influence," he said.
“We will be signing a joint declaration with the minister of canal affairs on the security and operation of the Panama Canal, which is the framework for US warships and auxiliary ships to sail first and free through the Panama Canal," said Hegseth.
Protecting Panamanian sovereignty from "malign influence is important," he added.